The Triangle rewarded results.
It always had.
Merit points, ranking movement, access permissions, instructor attention—everything reduced to measurable output. Effort didn't matter. Intent didn't matter. Even morality was secondary. Only outcome was tracked.
Dreyden understood that earlier than most.
That was why he didn't hesitate when the opportunity presented itself.
It began, as most things in the Triangle did, with a name.
Elias Morven.
Rank forty-three.
Class A-2.
Barrier-type ability, mid-grade defensive focus.
On paper, Elias was unremarkable. His ability wasn't rare, his stats weren't exceptional, and his combat record was painfully average. If ranking alone determined relevance, Elias should have faded into the background long ago.
But Elias hadn't.
Because Elias didn't fight the Triangle.
He navigated it.
